Bicycle Friendly America Fall 2017 - 15

time to cross the street."
"I wish there were more places like the
Silver Comet Trail for me and my two
boys to ride. I'd walk and bike more if
there was better transit."
"I would think about walking or biking if the roads were set up for it - like
in Amsterdam they have huge wide bike
paths that thousands of people use at all
times of the day. But here the roads are
made for cars."

PS

TRIPS

The feedback was wide-ranging and illustrative of what people in the region
need to make them feel comfortable
when walking and biking:
"I ride a bike because I can get exercise
while I run errands. I really like getting
around using human power - no fossil
fuels required."
FALL 2017

"Walking gives me energy and relieves
stress - it's a great way to start the day.
I enjoy the fresh air, the magnolias, and
the public art along the Beltline [trail]."
"Transit is the only way I have to get
to work."
"Sometimes the speeding cars don't
care to stop when it is the pedestrian's

ORGANIZING PRINCIPLES
As our team worked through reams
of technical data, a few key conclusions
started to emerge: weekday bicycling and
walking trips are typically short; many
commute trips are paired with transit or
driving; most people need to feel comfortable when riding on the road or have
an alternate path available.
We codified these conclusions with
two overarching principles:
* Support short trips: regional efforts should "focus investments
in areas that enable short trips for
walking or bicycling to work, transit, or daily needs."
* Build Complete Streets: regional
efforts should "support the implementation of Complete Street principles on every roadway and with
any project receiving federal funds."
These two principles - livable neighborhoods and comfortable streets - became our organizing principles and
the foundation for our regional vision.
Building on those principles, cities,
towns, and neighborhoods are the scales
where walking and bicycling occur so a
regional agency's goal, even over a large
metropolitan area, should be to support
bike-friendly communities and 20-minute neighborhoods. Second, to increase
opportunities for all people in the metro
area, streets must be designed to be safe
and comfortable for the widest possible
range of people. And, where possible, regional paths and trails can provide alternate routes or connections.
STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS
Building on the organizing principles,
our team identified five strategies for imBICYCLE FRIENDLY AMERICA 15

http://www.livablecities.org/articles/distance-destinations-density http://www.livablecities.org/articles/distance-destinations-density https://art.beltline.org/ https://art.beltline.org/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Bicycle Friendly America Fall 2017